Picture Perfect Memories
by Riverdancer17
Summary: Harry is given a box full of artifacts left behind by his parents and found by the ministry. in it are James' diaries for his seven years at hogwarts detailing his relationship with Lily and Lupins relationship with a mysterious young witch. OC. a present
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is a Christmas present for a friend of mine, a miss Rebekah Daborn, and I don't normally do OC but she was very insistent (she said she'd cave my head in if I didn't get this chapter up) so, all going as planned, the last chapter will be posted Christmas day but I wouldn't hold your breath. I have mock exams for this week and family for the rest of the Christmas period not to mention chronic writers block so quite frankly, god only knows when I will actually get the last chapter up. If any of you read my Sherlock story part of this was written in the same circumstances, i.e in the choir stands at Guildford cathedral, hidden partly within my choir folder and partly within the skirts of my dress. What can I say? Schola Cantorum is boring ;) so yeah you probably don't want to hear my personal problems but this is Picture Perfect Memories or PPM. Enjoy!**

**Don't own anything except, I believe, Dougal and the department of magically misplaced, salvaged and/or stolen property. I especially don't own Becky Daborn as she seems to own herself.**

**Yes I am insane, not clinically though.**

**Lily x**

Harry took a deep breath and looked at the box in his lap. In it was all that of his parents, Lily and James Potter. The ministry wizard who'd given it to him peered at the label taped to the lid.

'Aye, Lily and James Potter. One of the sections of the attic was still standin' when oor boys got to the hollow. Dinnae look so miserable, sir. 'tis a bonny wee lot under the circumstances.' Harry smiled weakly and turned when he felt something. His wife, Ginny, had touched his arm.

'You needn't look in it until we're home, Harry.'

'Aye,' agreed the wizard, nodding. 'Often 'tis better to wait a wee while. Open it when youse is home and settled.' He smiled happily, oblivious to the frantic hand signals being directed at him by a harassed looking man standing behind the reception desk.

'So, the ministry has had my parents things all this time?' asked Harry.

'Oh aye.' Said the smiling Wizard.

'Then why did I only find out this morning?'

The wizard conceded to look slightly sheepish.

'Och, weel…' he said 'the department of magically misplaced, salvaged and/or stolen property is not a very well known department. There's only me and Gareth doon here you know. That and the fact that we're approximately…' he flipped a sheet on a clipboard '… nineteen years behind on the paperwork.'

'I'm twenty two.' Said Harry, trying not to laugh.

'Aye? And how old were you when mammy and daddy passed away?'

'Just a year old.'

The young wizard's face fell.

'Gareth!' he yelled 'Make that twenty one years behind!'

'Dougal!' Hissed Gareth. 'If you would stop talking to the clients and help me then we would be no years behind on paperwork!'

Dougal went pink and scurried off. Harry looked at Ginny. Her dark eyes were sparkling and she was giggling softly.

'Come on the, Mrs Potter.' He said, grinning stupidly at her new title. 'Homeward bound.'

When they got home they put the box on the living room floor and stared at it for an unspecified length of time. It was a large box. About 2m square. Ginny lowered herself carefully to the floor (she was twelve weeks pregnant with their first child.) and started to peel the tape off the top.

'Don't!' shouted Harry and Ginny jumped.

'I want to do it.' Harry mumbled when Ginny glared at him. He knelt beside her and ripped off the tape. The box was filled about halfway with things and a scent that made Harry want to cry, even though he had no idea what it was.

'Lily of the valley.' Whispered Ginny.

Harry bowed his head to hide the tears on his lashes. Together he and Ginny unpacked his parents lives. A silver necklace, a book of singer's scores, a collection of Shakespeare plays, a pair of ballet slippers, a set of gobstones, a very old and battered broomstick, a folder of photographs , magical ones, that turned out to be his own ultrasounds. Ginny found a long, dusty white silk dress, embroidered with lilies and diamonds that could only be Lily's wedding dress. As she placed the matching lace veil on her ginger hair, she glanced into the box.

'Harry!' she called.

'Hmm?' he said vaguely, engrossed in his father's old chess set.

'Harry, look at these!'

He joined her at the side of the box. 'Notebooks.' He said flatly. 'So?'

'Look at them!'

'Um… Ginny this isn't going to be about that film you like is it? Because you know I slept through that…'

'You don't use your eyes do you?' she hissed, glaring at him. Harry was strongly reminded of Hermione. Ginny gazed into his face but it was still blank.

'Well, for starters there are seven of them.' She checked Harry's face and rolled her eyes. 'Seven years at Hogwarts!' she said slowly. Picking up one of the books she looked under the front cover. 'I thought so! Look!'

Harry peered at the proffered page. The ink had been splashed about considerably and whoever had written the text was unused to writing with a quill but never the less, there, in an oh so familiar yet completely different untidy scrawl were the words, 'James Edward Potter. Hogwarts first year.'

Underneath, a later hand had added, in biro, 'The story of Wormtail, Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, Chalky and Longneck. Volume one'


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: so, my dears, exams are going considerably better than expected, this added to a sprained shoulder (I don't know how either) means that I have more free time than expected so, second chapter goes up today! You guys have been excellent, so many of you favouriting this story, but pleeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaase can i have some more reviews! I know you're reading this, there's no excuse guys, seriously (not from you Becky) so, think on all that I've said. *stern look***

**Don't own anything at all especially not Becky as she seems to want to own herself.**

January 25th 1995

Having successfully mastered the Animagus charm wormtail, padfoot and I have all been able to visit moony. He is miserable poor thing. I suggested going for a walk around hogsmeade but even in animal form, padfoot and I struggled to keep moony in check. It was an unmitigated disaster! We all sneaked out just before dawn covered in blood and scratches, only to discover that pretty redhead, Evans. She was with one of her friends, the dark haired one, Daborn. They were leaning up against the whomping willow and Daborn was crying, sobbing something about Rufus Conway. Of course, once we came out the tunnel, they saw us and asked us what we were doing. As wormtail was staring at Daborn and Padfoot was staring at me, it fell to good old James to explain everything. They were both fascinated and wanted in. so Sirius, Peter, Remus and I have got ourselves into this giant mess, we have to teach Evans and Daborn to be animagi! This can only end badly.

January 26th 1995

Last night we told Moony what we did and once again the responsibility was foisted on muggins here. Moony isn't as furious as I'd thought he'd be, I think he has a crush on Evans. To be honest, her friend Daborn isn't bad looking. She's got that, like, toffee coloured hair and big brown eyes. I quite like her if I'm honest. Anyway, we're meeting the girls in the charms corridor, there's always an unlocked classroom or two along there. Daborn and Evans have been reading up stuff on the animagus charm so they're considerably more clued up on it than we ever were. Anyway, the only thing that moody is pissed about is that we can't spend time with him tomorrow night. Too many people with too many problems, seriously!

January 27th 1995

Well, it has to be said. I was wrong. It wasn't an unmitigated cock up after all. In fact for me it was excellent! We stayed up in the common room until everyone had left and then we all sneaked down to the charms corridor. Sirius told the girls the spell to use and I showed them in the flesh, as it were. We wanted Pettigrew to help but he just sat behind the girls and stared at them. We asked them to produce a patronus, which they did without too much bother and Daborn produced a swan after a couple of goes, Evans' was a doe. I barely noticed how Evans was doing. I kept all my focus on Daborn. The others left about half an hour after midnight but Daborn couldn't get th wand movement right so she and I stayed behind to work on it. She wasn't moving her wrist quite right, so I leaned up against her shoulder to show her on my wrist and somehow we just ended up… kissing I suppose. I like her a lot. I told Moony just now and he went all quiet and moody on me. Honestly, would it kill him to be happy for a chap? He's probably brooding about Evans. Anyway, it's the lastnight of the full moon so tomorrow moony'll be back in here with us!

Harry and Ginny stared at the open diary page.

'My dad was fooling around with someone else before he went out with my mum?' said Harry, confused.

Ginny looked at him pityingly. 'Looks like it.' She said. 'Try the second year.' Harry rummaged through the box, picked up another diary and started to read it aloud…


End file.
